The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-02-03
NORTH Wales TTTHE AGI

The question which is causing consid-
cradle agitation In North Wales at the
present time is the unjust 1.-THE rent which
the farmers have to bear TO sustain the
clergy of the established church and
which for many years has become most
burdensome aad intolCrable, inasmuch as
the agrieyed parties have to pay %
MAINTAIN an establishment to which they
are quite adverse, at the same time sup
wish tosattend, OF are members, by vol
untary subscriptions, making religion, If
We may call 1t so, almost intolerable.
The Irish people agitated for reform some
years ago, when by their persever-
ence they obtained disestablishment
of the church of England.
The Welsh are following in
the same footstep, and will no doubt,
We predict, obtain the same result. The
time has come when all religious bodies
or sects. shall stand or fall, according to
their merit, and not be forced upon different
parishes against the express wish Of the
Pensioners living upon the fat of the lard
when the tiller Of the soil has more than
he can do TO make both ends meet.
The depression among the agrieulturists
has been most keenly felt during recent
years. High rents, taxes and tithes are
the order OF the day, to which the farmers
have submitted With forbearance and
patience, until they find that what capital
they had was nearly exhausted, and what
ought to go for the maintenance of them
selves and family was going to support a
class of people for whom they had no
earthly use. The present demand OF
the farmers for 90 per cent reduction In
the 1.-THE rents is most reasonable
and should be met by the clergy In lib
eral spirlt and not resort to stringent
measures already too we'll known and
published throughout not only the
united kingdom, but all over the Amer
lean continent.
In FlintshIre, North Wales, the farm
ers formed an alliance and declined to
accept any offer less than 90 per cent
which the clergy refused, thereby allow
ing the law to take its course. The result,
of course, was the sending of bailiffs, pro-
tected by the police, to different farms to
take possession of the stock and dispose
Of the same by public auction. But among
the many auctioneers In Wales only one
could be found to.undertAks the unpleas-
ant task, which has made him notorious
in his profession.
The Welsh have always been
lAw.abiding class of people
and under the present trying
circumstances have not been an exception
to the rule. In the olden times the 1.-THE
was collected by the clergy by taking q
tenth part of the crop or the produce of
the land, and We venture to cay if the
same law existed at the present day the
stipend of the priesthood would not only
be 20 per cent, but nearly so per cent less;
or, say il the clergy only received tenth
part OF the profit of the farmer, the
amount allotted to them, what would be
the results How many clergymen would
there be in Wales to-day To remedy this
state OF affairs, the farmers must be solid,
firm and united, especially during paro-
chial and parliamentary elections, casting
their votes in the proper direction, using
every legitimate means to Obtain
their object. In the present struggle
they have the entire sympathy of about
1000 Welsh citizens Of Emporia and
Lyon county, most of whom have gone
through a similar ordeal, which made
them seek home in the land of the free,
where they found equAlity.and prosperity,
becoming not only the tIllers of the soil
but owners, thereby reaping the advan-
vantage Of every improvement aud freed
from the pest of priesthood and landlord
ism. Among the leaders In the Holy
we'll and Whltford districts we find the
names of the following; Edward Will
liams, PsntreffynnoD, Owen VIII
liams, Clan Clwyd, Evan Bryan
Holywell John Parry, Liam Armon
William Thomas, Plss Newydd, Ed
ward Jones, Isglan, Edward Hughes,
Pentre and others too numerous to men
ton. ALL of whom are men of standing in
tegrity, Intelligence and we'll known,
throughout the community for their hon
estY of purpose With such stAunch men of
the reform school at the front we predicG
for the farmers Of Wales glorious flu
ture.